Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Time now for episode two of "Stay Classy, Kansas City," where we play around with PhotoShop and dig around for dirt -- like the low-life blogsters that we are --on current and former professional athletes that have played for Kansas City franchises. We kicked off this feature yesterday with a look at former NHL tough guy Steve Durbano, an interesting character to say the least. Today's subject is former NFL tackle Victor Riley. Let's learn about him in a sourceless trashing, likely full of fabrications and allegations, just after the jump.Back when the Kansas City Chiefs' front office knew next to nothing about draft picks, also known as the late 90s/early 2000s, they carelessly dropped a 1998 first-round (27th overall) pick on a guy out of Auburn known as Victor Riley. The 6'5" 300-pound+ big man would start 47 games for the Chiefs in his first three seasons in the league. As the Dick Vermeil era began, however, he would only log five starts in 2001, before shipping out for all of the pleasantries New Orleans had to offer. He'd spend three seasons in the French Quarter, then head west to Houston where he started a whopping eight games before calling it a career.

And that, folks, is how you scout talent, and pay said talent lots of money to play for your team. Eight seasons and done. Now, as we all know, the position of professional offensive lineman is a quirky one. Only in the last decade or so have running backs made noteworthy efforts of giving credit to the guys that block for them, and quarterbacks seldom seem to touch on the issue. Thus, the measuring stick for these guys comes in some strange combination of starts and Pro Bowl berths, with a little examination of team sacks allowed, and maybe even fumbles recovered. Thus, if a guy drums up 10 solid seasons as a starter, he was good. Riley did not. I won't go so far as to say that he was bad, but suffice it to say that he was no pillar of the right-tackle community. When the Chiefs released him, they were molding one of the greatest O-lines to ever take the field. When the Saints, who've almost never been good, had run him around the block a few times and decided to part ways, that's saying something. Then, if a guy can't hold a job as an O-line starter for the Houston Texans, methinks retirement might be an option. I mean, just ask this guy.

But I didn't come here to preach QB protection or running-game blocking schemes. I came here to point out one thing, and one thing only.

Kansas City offensive tackle Victor Riley Arrested for Ramming His Vehicle Several Times into Another Vehicle Occupied by his Wife and Infant Daughter

Victor Riley turned himself into police Friday morning on charges that he rammed his vehicle several times into another vehicle occupied by his wife and their infant daughter. The 26-year-old Riley was charged in Johnson County District Court with felony counts of aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, misdemeanor child endangerment and for leaving the scene of an accident. The above mentioned charges stem from a dispute on May 23rd in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, where Riley lives. Riley was released after posting $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Riley's attorney, Kevin Regan, couldn't be reached for comment. Kansas City Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson released a statement saying that the team had only recently learned of the situation and had offered the Rileys the assistance of the team's player development program.

The incident caused Riley to face the get-tough discipline of NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who suspended Riley for a whole game as a result of that incident. "The league took one game from me and a one-game paycheck," complained the 350-pound lineman at the time.

Hey. Nice work, Tags. Way to "get tough." I'd much rather have seen Gestapo Goodell, as our coveted Lone Reader likes to call him, rule over that one with his fist of iron. Anyway, I know this is a six-year-old issue, and Riley has probably served a penance, and been forgiven, but seriously. Repeatedly ramming a car with another car? A car that has your wife and baby in it? Jesus, dude. What gives?

And that's today's feature, kids. Tune in tomorrow and we'll examine a class act from the diamond.